On Dec 6, 2020, we held our inaugural Binder Drive Distribution Event: a socially-distanced gathering to distribute 54 custom-ordered chest binders among the members of our community.
With the generous support of our international collaborators, contributors to our GoFundMe campaign, and in-house volunteers and coordinators, we succeeded in bringing the first-ever shipment of binders to our community. We hope this will be the first event of many!
photo credits: Juelz Laval (@juelz_chapapicha) and Vela Alev (@ksinovela)
Update (Nov. 7, 2020) - Thank you to everyone who has donated!
We successfully raised the funds to pay the customs fees to retrieve the package of binders from the post office. We’re also now able to cover the costs of distributing these binders to their recipients in a safe setting and with full COVID-safety protocols in place. Thank you all again for your continued support for our efforts to get these binders into the hands of our trans community.
Why is it important to distribute these binders now?
All our lives have changed to navigate the risks posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic. For many transmasculine & gender-diverse people, difficult lockdown conditions and loss of income contribute to a lack of freedom to express our identities.
As gender-diverse people who have made the intention to live authentically, we have been struggling to access binders as a step towards top surgery or as the comfort point for some of us. We hope that this Binder Distribution Event will be the first of many, as one of our long-term goals is to create the first African local production line for binders and other comfort pieces. We are currently researching the cost implications and possible alternatives to keep supply lines open and accessible.